The flower buds of capers are harvested from perennial bushes belonging to the Capparis plant family. The most popular kind of capers used in cooking are those that come from the Capparis spinosa L. plant. To increase their shelf life and flavor, capers are harvested, marinated in vinegar, brine, or oil, and then fermented.1.
In the Mediterranean region, capers are used to enhance the taste and nutritional content of foods like spaghetti and chicken picatta.
Capers are often eaten in moderation, although they do contain certain important nutrients and plant chemicals that have potential health benefits.
This is all the information you need to know about capers, including its possible nutritional value, health benefits, and drawbacks.
Delivers Vital Nutrients
Capers have an extremely low calorie content—just 23 per 100 grams (g) serving—but they are packed with vitamins and minerals.2.
A quarter-cup portion of capers provides 7% of your daily requirement for copper and 14% of your daily requirement for vitamin K. Capers are a strong source of these minerals.
Red blood cell creation, growth and development, iron metabolism, energy production, the synthesis of neurotransmitters, and several other vital physiological functions all require copper.3.
Vitamin K is necessary for blood clotting and plays significant functions in heart and bone health.4
Capers also include trace levels of iron, magnesium, vitamin E, copper, and a number of other vitamins and minerals.
An Abundant Supply of Quercetin
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, such the polyphenol component quercetin, are found in capers. Curiously, research indicates that capers rank among the highest natural sources of quercetin. This could be attributed to the fact that most capers undergo a pickling and canning procedure, which increases the amount of quercetin in them.1.
Strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities of polyphenol chemicals, such as quercetin, shield cells from oxidative damage and may help reduce the risk of chronic disease.5.
Studies indicate that quercetin has anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and antiviral actions in the body in addition to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities. It may also provide protection against age-related disorders, such as neurological diseases.6
The blood-brain barrier, which separates the brain’s blood arteries from its tissue and keeps dangerous substances out of the brain, is easily crossed by quercetin. Because of this, quercetin has been shown to offer substantial protection against age-related brain degeneration and brain-related illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease.7.
Could Aid in Reducing Blood Lipid Levels
While studies indicate that consuming bigger amounts of capers may give various health benefits, including lowering elevated blood cholesterol levels, capers are typically ingested in tiny dosages.
Those treated with 10 mg of the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin plus 40 to 50 grams (g) of capers per day for eight weeks saw significantly greater reductions in their total and LDL cholesterol levels compared to those treated with atorvastatin alone, according to a 2019 study involving 60 people with elevated blood lipid levels.8
The researchers hypothesized that capers may slow down the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract, so lowering blood cholesterol levels over time, even if the exact mechanism underlying their cholesterol-reduction actions is still unclear.
Although these findings are encouraging, more investigation is required to fully understand how capers lower cholesterol.
Caper Nutritional Information
Though low in calories, capers are a great source of several important elements.
The nutritional analysis for a quarter-cup portion of capers is as follows:2.
- 7.92 calories
- Protein: <1 g, Fat: <1 g
- Glycemic Index: 1.68
- 1.1 g of fiber
- Sodium: 35% of the DV (808 mg).
- Copper: 14.14% of the DV, or.128 mg
- Vitamin K: 8.48 mcg, or 7% of the Daily Value
Since capers are often eaten in small portions, like a tablespoon, they don’t provide a substantial amount of vitamins, minerals, protein, or fiber.
They are highly heavy in sodium, but they are also a good source of copper and vitamin K.
Sodium is a vital mineral required for neuron and muscle function, as well as fluid balance. Despite the fact that salt is a necessary nutrient, most individuals eat too much of it, which poses a number of health problems.9.
Dangers of Consuming Capers
Despite being tasty and containing a few essential minerals, capers are extremely heavy in sodium. A quarter-cup portion of capers has 808 mg of sodium, or thirty-five percent of your daily requirement.2.
Life need sodium, yet most people overconsume it, which can be harmful to their health. Although the average American consumes over 3,400 mg of sodium daily, the current Daily Value (DV) for sodium is set at 2,300 mg, or roughly one teaspoon of table salt.
Certain foods, such as fish and vegetables, naturally contain sodium, but salt is added to food during processing, cooking, and consumption. Your daily sodium intake is influenced by both salt and the naturally occurring sodium included in whole meals.
Health professionals continue to disagree on the optimal daily limit for sodium intake since everyone has different demands when it comes to sodium. It is evident, though, that the majority of people’s diets contain much too much added salt from highly processed foods, restaurant meals, and other salty goods. Eating an excessively salty diet can raise your risk of developing renal disease and high blood pressure, among other illnesses.
Due to their high salt content, it is advisable to consume capers sparingly and as part of a balanced diet high in whole, nutrient-dense foods and low in highly processed foods.
When consuming high-sodium foods like capers, those with medical illnesses including congestive heart failure (CHF) and kidney disease should be cautious to keep under their daily salt limit.
Advice on How to Eat Capers
Capers are crisp and taste like salty olives that go well with a variety of savory dishes. Because capers are so tasty, a tiny bit goes a long way.
Here are some culinary use for capers:
- Add capers to pasta and rice recipes to impart a salty taste. Toss them into salads for a delightful crunch and burst of flavor.
- Best chicken and fish with sauces flavored with capers
- Add capers to chicken salad or tuna salad.
- In salad dressings, use the caper brine in place of vinegar.
- Remember that capers are highly salted, so wait to salt your dishes until after you’ve added them and had a chance to taste them. Rinse capers under running water for a minute or two before cooking them if you want to lessen their saltiness as this lowers their sodium concentration.
There are various kinds of capers that come in different sizes that can be bought. The largest variety of capers, grusas capers, can reach a size of over 14 millimeters (mm), while non-pareils are the smallest, growing up to seven millimeters. Compared to larger capers, smaller capers are milder in flavor and have a harder, crunchier texture.
Capers are shelf-stable and can be stored for up to five years in the right conditions, such a dark, cool pantry.
A Brief Recap
A frequent salty component in Mediterranean cooking are capers.
Despite their diminutive size and tendency to be eaten in small amounts, capers are high in the antioxidant component quercetin and a strong source of copper and vitamin K.
Capers can be included in a healthy diet when eaten in moderation, but because they are so high in sodium, persons who are on a sodium-restricted diet or who need to reduce their intake of sodium should limit their intake of capers.
Topics #Advantages #Capers #health
